1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a fuel cell system and a method of operating the same.
2. Description of the Related Art
Secondary electric cells, that is, batteries, are widely used as power supply sources for laptop computers, personal digital assistants (PDAs), portable display devices, mobile phones, etc.
As the variety of portable electronic devices increases, various batteries for each kind of electronic device are being introduced.
However, the batteries currently used for portable electronic devices do not provide power for as long as the user desires. In particular, when the portable electronic devices are operated continuously, the time the batteries can be used may further decrease. Also, in the case of currently used batteries, it takes a lot of time to completely charge the batteries, and the performance of the batteries may be degraded as the batteries are charged and discharged frequently.
Accordingly, new power sources have been developed, and one of these is a fuel cell system.
A fuel cell system can be formed of a cartridge, in which fuel such as methanol is stored, and a power unit produces power by using the fuel supplied from the cartridge.
The fuel cell system can produce power continuously as long as fuel is supplied. Thus power can be produced as long as the user wants. Also, if the fuel runs out, power can be produced again by replacing the cartridge or supplying fuel to the cartridge. Accordingly, in the fuel cell system, the time required for producing power again is significantly shorter than a charging time of a battery.